Touched
by Rogue237
Summary: While Remy and Rogue are facing their own personal hardships, the X-Men face a new threat. Focus on Romy, but some other characters/pairings/drama as well. Mature audiences only.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

**FRIDAY, 5PM**

Rogue let the water wash over her. She looked up at the showerhead and let out a sigh. _Ah can't believe we're fightin' again_, she thought. Once again she'd pushed him away when he tried to get close and he walked out. It had been 6 weeks since she lost her powers. She still remembered that day like it was yesterday.

_*Flashback*_

_Rogue watched from a distance as the X-Men fought the massive Sentinels. It was times like these that she missed Ms. Marvel's powers desperately, but now she just had her stupid, soul sucking power so in fights like these with massive machines she had to stay back with Emma at a safe distance, as she monitored the team's vitals. She watched longingly as Gambit moved acrobatically around one of the Sentinels, admiring the way his body contorted. That was a body made to touch a woman. She had to wonder why he was wasting his time with her._

"_Oh, come now – I actually think you're the one that could do better," Emma said to her with a slight smile. Rogue quickly snapped out of it and put up her psi-shield. All of Xavier's students were taught how to block a minimal psychic, but Rogue could block a much stronger one. Years of stealing powers of telepaths had taught her well. Still, she smirked back at the woman in white. She had always liked Emma. She was entertained by her dry wit and was secretly envious of the way she was with men – so dominant. _

_Rogue turned her attention back to the fight, wishing furiously for Ms. Marvel's powers back. That's when she saw it. A Sentinel that must've broken away from the pack and was targeting her and Emma. She shot her head over to the team to yell for help – certain that Emma was already psychically doing the same thing. She saw Wolverine and Gambit break away from the pack and run towards them. They'd never make it in time. She wished with all her might for Ms. Marvel's powers – for Logan's – someone's that would help. 'No time for wishing, girl! Do something!' she thought. The Sentinel reached down and picked up Emma. Rogue looked frantically into the woman's eyes expecting to see fear, but saw shock and awe instead. At this point she realized that although the Sentinel was pulling Emma towards it, Rogue was still at eye level with her. Confused, Rogue looked down and discovered she was several feet off the ground. "I'm flying," she realized. Although she didn't know why it was happening, she quickly sprung into action, praying she had her previous super strength as well. She peeled the Sentinel's fingers open and pulled Emma from it's grasp. She flew her down and turned back to finish the job._

_Her anger raged and she flew back up towards the Sentinel, ready to punch his lights out. Acting too hastily, she didn't see his fist fly around to smack her out of the air. She came to quickly, feeling for the gash in her forehead. She gasped when she felt the wound closing up under her fingers. Back on her feet she shot back up at the Sentinel – bone claws protruding from her hands. She hit the Sentinel with Ms. Marvel's strength and Wolverine's claws and the robot when down in seconds. She was on her way back down to the ground when everything began to get fuzzy. The last thing she saw was Remy and Logan's shocked faces as she fell out of the air and hit the ground._

_She awoke back at the mansion. She had lost her powers. No more Ms. Marvel. No more Wolverine. No more death touch. The best Beast could figure was that when she called up those other powers in a desperate situation she overloaded and her powers burnt out completely. It was anyone's guess when they'd come back, or if they'd ever come back._

It had been 6 weeks since she lost her powers and still nothing physical had happened with Remy. Every time she'd make excuses – "what if they reactivate, Remy? Ah could kill you." But the real reason that she could only admit to herself was that she was scared. Never having been with a man was enough to make any girl anxious, but having touched Remy, having absorbed him before, she knew that he'd had his and another man's share of experience. She'd loved that man since the day she laid eyes on him, and to think that she may disappoint him enough that he'd walk away shook her to her very core.

Just as Rogue was letting her thoughts wander with the shower cascading over her chestnut and frosted hair, the shower curtain pulled back with a start. Remy, stark naked as the day he was born, hopped in and pulled the curtain closed behind him. Rogue instinctively reached for the towel only to be stopped by an urgent hand around her wrist. "No, chere, we're not doin' dis again."

"Ah don't believe we've ever done this, swamp rat!" Rogue cried, hating herself for always having to stoop to the confrontation, but unable to stop herself.

"No. We're not doin' dis runnin' anymore, petit." His eyes pierced into hers. With black eyes and red pupils, Remy always looked serious, but there was somberness in them now that she had never seen before. "Every time I try to get close to you, you run. Or you say somethin' to me t'make me run. Maybe you testin' me. Maybe I failed cause I go, but I always come back t'you, Rogue. If dis gon' work, I need you t'get over your fear, chere. I love you. Dat should be enough. I never felt like dis before."

"What about Bella Donna?" she snarled back, immediately regretting the words as soon as they escaped from her lips and looking away. She had absorbed Bella Donna's memories before. In a weird way, it's as if she already knew what it was like to be with Remy physically. It made her sick to think about it – as if someone had stolen her memories – the memories she had earned with him and may never get. His gaze narrowed in on her, still holding her wrist lightly, but she would not meet his eyes. The touch made her nervous – it was almost as nerve racking as the silence. _Just leave me, Remy. If you leave me now it'll hurt less than when you inevitably leave me later_, she thought. All these years she had longed to be free of the haunting voices in her head from people she'd absorbed, and although they'd never go away fully, they were finally quiet, and she was terrified to discover that the most damaging voice was her own.

She tried to keep her eyes down, but she soon felt uncomfortable in view his well-endowed manhood and the silence became too much. She raised her gaze into those red orbs and was taken aback. His glowing eyes gleamed with tears aching to spill over and behind that, a touch of fear and desperation. The eyes of a man at the end of his rope. Remy LeBeau was impulsive, passionate, easy to anger and hard to make amends with, but never in the years she'd known him, had he been desperate. Immediately, she retreated from her attack. "Ah… Ah didn't mean it, Remy… Ah just –"

"Didn't love her, chere. Not like you. If you didn' know dat, you know it now." He pulled her wrist around his waist and stepped into her. Every inch of them was touching and Rogue had never felt such a mixture of fear and excitement. His body was pressed against her so tightly she could feel every muscle upon her. Instinctively she began to pull out of his grasp, but once again his eyes stopped her. The _need_ in them was heartbreaking. He lifted a hand to her face and pulled her in. He kissed her slowly and deeply. She felt like crying and laughing all at once. This feeling, which she had only gotten before with grave consequences, was better than she remembered. She longed for it and dreaded it all at once. After a few moments and not long enough, Remy pulled away. He stepped back, pulled the curtain back and stepped out.

Rogue stood, stunned. "Where… where you goin', Remy?"

"I want you t'tink about it, Rogue. I'll wait for you to be ready, but don' go making me wait forever," he said shortly and left. Just like that.

Rogue stood, open jawed for a moment, and then almost went after him. "Damn he's good," she thought, closed the shower curtain and went back to her shower, more conflicted than ever.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

Jean wiped her apron and looked up from her cooking to see Gambit stroll in, freshly showered, looking more pleased with himself than usual. He flashed her a grin and looked down at the pot of stew she was making. His grin faded. He walked over to the cabinet and began pulling spices from the shelves. "No!" Jean belted, "no, no, no! No, Gambit! You are NOT touching this stew – it's perfectly fine!"

"Come, petit, I can tell from the smell it's too bland. It jus' need some spicin' up is all." The spices jumped up towards Remy, hitting him a few times before sitting firmly back in the pantry. To make her point EXTRA clear, Jean slammed the pantry door in front of him. "Fine. You take your bland stew, chere, but I might need some psychic suggestion if you 'spect me t'eat it."

"Well then I guess you can just STARVE," she seethed as she threw an unused carrot his way. He ducked in time for it to hit Logan on his way into the kitchen. He let out a surprised grunt.

"The Cajun giving you a hard time about your cooking again, darlin'?" he asked rubbing his head for the sympathy more so than the pain.

"Logan!" Jean gasped, "I'm so sorry, I… I guess I let my frustrations get the best of me… I was aiming for Gambit."

"No problem, Red." Their silent gaze lasted longer than a friendly gaze should have. The tension was so thick that any telepath within 5 miles got an unexplained uneasy feeling.

Gambit quietly excused himself and left the awkward situation, though he was sure neither of the two even noticed. On the way out he passed Scott coming into the kitchen and not so coyly shouted "CYCLOPS – SO GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAN!"

Scott mumbled a hello and peered back at Gambit. "He is so odd sometimes," he thought to himself. He strode confidently into the kitchen and brushed past Wolverine and up to Jean, wrapping a hand around her hip. "Smells great, honey!"

"I was just, uh, leaving. I've got to go up to my room and pack," Logan muttered before turning to go. The sight of HIM touching HER made his rage boil up to the surface. He could feel his claws aching to come out. He moved swiftly up the stairs and to his room, closing the door behind him.

"Where's he running off to _now_?" Scott questioned.

"I don't have the faintest idea, Scott. He's not very forthcoming with personal information," Jean replied, twisting out of his grip. "Oh shoot. I was going to make a new dessert tonight, but I forgot to print out the recipe! I'll go get it."

"I can get for you, hun…"

"No, no. First I have to find it online again, and then print it out. I can't believe I forgot to print it! I'll be back in a bit." She turned towards the door to leave.

"What're you making?" Scott asked, eyes pinned to the back of her head behind his glasses.

"Raspberry chocolate cupcakes," she replied over her shoulder, cursing herself for coming up with something so difficult. She left the kitchen, certain that behind her, Scott's eyes were still glued to her. She wondered if one day he'd look at her that way with his hand on the trigger.

Logan's door swept open as Jean stepped inside and quietly closed it behind her. He was waiting for her at the edge of the bed and popped up when she walked in. "I have to make raspberry chocolate cupcakes," she managed to get out before they were in each others arms – kissing, touching. Touching that forbidden touch they had long resisted but couldn't any longer. "I think he's starting to suspect something," she said as they finally pulled away.

Logan looked up at her longingly, "why don't you just wipe him, Jeannie? He won't ever know if you don't want him to."

"I can't, Logan. It's… cruel. Scott has not always been the best husband, but I can't just turn him into a robot!"

"Well I can't keep watching him touch you, Jeannie! It kills me inside every time I see his face! I want it to be just us." He pushed away and sat back on the bed, with his head in his hand.

Jean walked over and sat beside him. "It's not just Scott, you know Logan. How do you think Ororo would feel if she knew the man she was seeing was sleeping with someone else. I don't care for seeing her touch you either, but there are people's feelings… people's lives at stake here."

Logan looked down at her leg gently rubbing his. It was a conversation they've had over and over again. It never ended any differently. Though this was hardly settled, Logan decided he's better take advantage of this moment, as the moments they were able to steal together were few and far between. He reached over and tugged the apron string gently until it fell loose at her sides. "So how much time ya' got to look up that recipe?"

An evil grinned crawled upon her lips as she tugged off the apron and leaned over to Logan, her lips almost meeting his. "I hope that yellow spandex slips off quickly, Wolverine."


	3. Chapter 3

Gambit continued down the hall on his way to the rec room. In an attempt to clear his thoughts, he didn't notice that he was walking straight towards Emma Frost. At the last minute he looked up and attempted to skirt around her. She stood tall, peering straight at him with no intention of moving herself out of his way. He barely got around her and brushed passed her shoulder. Suddenly his head filled with the image of him naked, tied to his bed with a gag in his mouth. Emma was straddled on top of him with the same white lingerie she excused for clothes that she was currently wearing, removing her fur-collared cape. A woman's deep moan filled his ear as clear as day. "Dammit, Emma. What do you t'ink your doin' putting that image in my head?" he demanded, whipping towards her.

Her steel gaze looked him up and down quickly and dismissed him with an eye roll. "Don't flatter yourself, Remy. Whatever smut goes on in your head is owned completely by you. I thought you were immune to telepaths." She slowly turned from him and walked on, a pleased smirk across her face. Anything for her own amusement.

Behind her Remy stood, stunned, rubbing his shaggy hair. Had he just envisioned that himself? He'd been distracted, so it was possible that Emma got through his static interference. It had been a long time, but he's never thought of Emma that way. The way she walked around half naked made it too easy – he preferred the chase. "So you get a girl you can' even touch. Well done, LeBeau," he said to himself. "Merde. Maybe I just be safer in my room." With that, he turned back the way he came and headed up to his room.

Emma continued on towards the kitchen where she sensed Scott was. It had been 2 months since their one night stand – one drunken night while Jean was away. After that he cut her off and became cold to her. Normally she would just return the favor but for some reason beyond her knowledge and against her will she had developed _feelings_ for him. The thought alone of loving the goody-two-shoes wanker made her want to gag, but she couldn't help it.

As she rounded into the kitchen she saw Scott taking a taste of Jean's stew with a disgusted look on his face. "I've never understood why Jean is the only bloody cook in this house. It's a good thing I don't eat."

Scott jumped back, startled, "I, uhhh… Emma. I like Jean's cooking very much!"

"You're forgetting I can read your mind, love."

"Aren't you usually out of here and halfway to the bar by now, Emma? Your class ended an hour ago," Scott commented, side stepping her remark.

"I had to help Piotr with something."

"Isn't he a little young for you?"

"He's certainly well passed legal. Besides sometimes the young ones just work harder… what's the matter, Scott? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous?"

"Well, you should know better, Emma." Emma pulled herself up onto the counter, crossed her legs, and unfolded her cape. She didn't have to read Scott's mind to sense his hungry eyes on her. In truth, he longed to repeat that night often. More times than not, it was Emma's face he saw when he made love to Jean. But the guilt over the indiscretion kept him wound tighter than usual, trying desperately to not let himself be seduced.

"Well, I certainly hope you're in a better mood tomorrow night, since you and I were pulled for kid-watching duty," Emma smirked. Every Saturday night, adults that worked and lived in the mansion were allowed out for their sanity's sake and two adults were drawn out of a hat to stay behind to watch over the dark, quiet house while the students slept. Usually Professor Xavier did this drawing so Emma couldn't manipulate it, but today Charles was busy, so he let one of the older students, Kitty Pryde pick. She was a far easier target.

Scott's jaw dropped as soon as the words hit his ears. He was certain he wouldn't be able to resist Emma if she tried something. Then again, with everyone out of the house, including Jean, maybe he didn't have to resist. What's a second time when he's already messed up once? To Emma's surprise and utter delight, instead of anger, a smile spread across Scott's face. "Well I look forward to it," he replied.

As Emma hopped off the counter, confused, but unwilling to read his mind as it takes away from the pleasure of the game, Jean came rushing in, tying her apron behind her with her recipe in hand. "Man there are a LOT of recipes to choose from on the Internet!" she exclaimed weakly. Scott and Emma didn't seem to hear her.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

*Warning: this is the super smutty chapter. If you don't like smut, you might want to skip it :)*

Remy made his way to his door and found it locked. He struggled with the knob a few times before reaching for his key. Some people liked to lock their rooms in such a crowded mansion, but certain that no one could out-thief him, Remy always left his open. Puzzled, he slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. Inside before him was Rogue, covered head to toe in his trench coat and what he hoped was nothing else, sitting at the edge of the bed. Gambit swiftly closed the door and locked it behind him. "Chere? What are you -?"

"Hush those lips, Cajun," Rogue said with a grin as she rose from the bed. "Ah thought about what ya said, and you're right, sugah." With this she opened the coat and let it drop to the floor.

Angels sang. Choirs played. Or at least that was all happening in Remy's head, while all he could get out was a gasped "Mon Dieu." Half of his mind wouldn't let him move, savoring the view, while the other half smacked him upside the head and told him to get over there and touch her. Luckily he didn't have to make that decision as Rogue strolled casually over to him and wrapped her arms around his hip, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifting it over his head. She slowly unfastened his belt and pants and let them drop to his ankles. Lost in her emerald eyes, filled with masked panic and anticipation, he hardly noticed he was already rock hard. She reached down over his boxer brief to his member, which quickly went from hard to throbbing with her touch. Remy let out a shudder. It's the first time he ever felt so nervous to do what he does so well.

Noticing her uncertainty at what to do next, Remy snapped out of his trance and took the lead. He led her backwards until she fell, softly, onto the bed. He took his strong arm around her waist and pulled her up towards the middle of the bed. He began to kiss her gently, loving every inch of her mouth, cheeks, neck, down to her breasts. Every inch that he had longed to touch for years and wasn't able to. As he made his way down further Rogue became more and more anxious. As if sensing her mood, Remy paused and looked up at her, "now you just sit back and enjoy dis, chere." With that he gave her a wink and headed down below.

What started as feeling strange turned to amazing in mere moments. Rogue reached down and ran her fingers through Remy's hair, yanking softly when the rush became too much. Before she knew it she lost her inhibition and was moaning louder. As she felt herself coming close to her peak, she yanked Remy's head up. "Remy, Ah need to feel ya inside a' me. Please, Ah want to do this. Ah need you."

That was all Remy needed to hear – those words he had been longing to hear for 6 weeks. He practically jumped out of his boxer briefs and positioned himself above her. As he moved down and the tip of him touched her warm center he saw the anxiousness show up in her eyes again. After all, there was a reason Remy had such confidence in the sack, as he was working with a bigger tool than most. He leaned down and kissed her lips lovingly. "I love you, chere. I'll go slow. You tell me if you want me to stop," he whispered, praying she didn't want to stop.

"Ah love you too, Remy. Ah want this," she said, staring into his hypnotic eyes. He pressed his tip against her and entered slowly, inch by inch. Rogue felt a mixture of sweet pain and pleasure she had never imagined. Remy stopped about half way in and looked at her, checking to see if she was OK. Mouth opened wide, all Rogue could manage to get out was a muffled "deeper" with a moan that almost made Remy release right then and there. Taking her suggestion, Remy softly pushed himself the rest of the way in. She was everything he had dreamt of all these years, and more. He never could've imagined that she'd fit him so snug. Gauging her excitement, Remy positioned himself and picked up his pace. Remy LeBeau, the great lover, gasped a sigh of relief when he heard Rogue's moans speed up, as he was afraid he wouldn't last long within her. "REMY!" she began to call out as she reached her climax. "REMY!"

It took everything within him to keep himself going while reaching out to cover her mouth (this _was_ a school, after all). Not two seconds had passed from her climax when Remy himself began to release. He let out a deep moan and collapsed on top of her, face snuggled into her bosom. Through deep breaths he struggled to speak, "I swear, chere, Remy usually last longer den dat. You'll see next time-"

"Ya damn right there'll be a next time, sugah," Rogue interrupted, picking his face up in her hands "and please don't even think to make excuses for the amazin' thing that just happened here."

Remy reached up and kissed her mouth. "Will you go out with me, chere?"

"What on earth are you talkin' about, Cajun?"

"Tomorrow night. We didn' pick de short straw to watch de kids. I want t'take you out like you deserved to be taken out. Like we haven't had de chance to with mission after mission and de hard times we been going through."

Rogue was genuinely touched. She knew Remy had a soft side in there somewhere, but she had never seen it show quite like this. "Of course I will, swamp rat."

Remy moved to the side of her and pulled her in close. He could stay like this forever. For the first time since he'd bought the ring, 2 weeks before Rogue lost her powers, he felt the time was right.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

**SATURDAY, 8PM**

Saturday passed in a rush for Remy, preparing for his special night. Before they knew it, it was 8pm and the X-Men were headed out, leaving Emma and Scott behind to watch the kids. Jean casually loitered by the door with Scott. "I don't have any plans, Scott. I could stay here with you and Emma. Maybe we could watch a movie?"

Scott flushed. "No… no, Jean. It's your night off – you deserve this. Why don't you go with Logan and Ororo?" he protested, a little too adamantly.

"I don't want to third wheel it on their date," she quipped, confused by his rejection.

"Too late Jeannie," Logan said and he walked up to the uncomfortable couple. "Kurt's already third wheeling – we'd welcome a fourth."

"I vant to see the movie! I LOVE Batman!" Kurt cried as he bounded down the stairs – reserving his bamf unless necessary.

Jean shifted uneasily. She wanted to spend as much time with Logan as possible, but having to watch him with Ororo all night may prove too difficult. "Well, OK," she agreed, defeated. "I guess that sounds like fun. Goodnight, Scott," she said and quickly kissed him on the cheek on the way out.

Rogue and Remy were the last ones to leave. In his black dress pants and jacket, with a white dress shirt with a few buttons left open underneathe, Remy waited eagerly at the bottom of the stairs, nervously pacing and checking over and over again that the ring was still in his jacket pocket. When Rogue finally came down the stairs, Remy was stopped in his tracks. A deep green mini dress hugged her curves, bringing out her bright emerald eyes. She had a black wrap that matched her purse and patent leather heels. Her chestnuts curls hung long a loose over her shoulders as white strands framed her face. It was the most exposed he'd ever seen her when going out in public. "Pick up that jaw, Cajun. You'll give a gal a big head," she cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck when she got to the foot of the stairs. He ran his fingers over her silky hair and felt a calm sensation wash over him. His nerves eased and he felt back to the rock steady man he was known to be. More sure than ever, he escorted her out to the most important night of their lives.

**SATURDAY, 10PM**

Scott must've changed 5 times before he decided on a look that said "I know you want me, Emma" and "I'm not trying to look good, it just happens" just enough. He waltzed downstairs and into the den with the most casual, nonchalant strut he could muster. "Hey did you want me to pop some popcorn, or -?"

Emma sat, practically intertwined with Bobby Drake on the couch, giggling playfully at whatever gem of a joke he must've just told. "Oh!" she cried, feigning surprise," Scott! I completely forgot you were watching the movie too! Come on over – we can, um, skootch down." Emma, still dressed in the white lingerie and cape she excused as clothes pushed Bobby down the couch, positioning herself in between him and an open spot for Cyclops. She immediately sensed both men's frustration at the situation and smiled to herself. Scott hesitantly walked over and plopped himself beside her.

"So, um, Scott. You said something about popcorn. Why don't you go make us all some?" Bobby tested.

"Maybe you should make it yourself, Bobby," Scott shot back. "What's the matter? Couldn't find a friend on your one night off?"

Emma snickered slightly, thoroughly enjoying herself. "Boys, boys! Let's not play 'who swinging the biggest pecker?' because honestly it would be easy enough for me to poke through your minds and answer that myself, so instead, let's just try to make the most of our night with a little mindless movie entertainment, shall we?"

Bobby was the first to concede. "Sure, of course, you're right, babe. I'll go get us some."

As soon as Bobby was out of ear-shot, Scott turn angrily towards Emma. "What in the hell do you think you're doing, Emma? What kind of game are you playing?" he demanded.

"What on earth are you talking about, Summers?" she asked in that irritatingly careless way she often talks to men, ice blue eyes narrowing in on him.

"Look," he sighed, "I just thought it would be nice to maybe spend some time together… I just feel bad that I –" He trailed off when he noticed that Emma was no longer looking or listening to him. She seemed to be in deep concentration. "You know, I'm trying to pour my heart out here, I'd think you would-"

"Scott – the kids!" was all she got out before the front door came barreling down with a large, angry beast of a man behind it. "WHERE IS HE?" he demanded, spittle flying out with his hateful words. "WHERE IS THE RUNT?"

Emma and Scott stood quickly, Scott moving to partly shield Emma. "Sabretooth, he's not here," Scott said, trying to keep calm. Dealings between Sabretooth and the X-Men had been as civil as could be expected in the past few months, but Sabretooth wasn't the trustworthy type.

He barreled over to the two and stood above them, peering down on them, breathing so heavily that he was snarling. Behind Scott, Emma was concentrating intensely with her eyes closed. "Your little mind tricks don't work on me, frail," Sabretooth roared at her. She immediately opened her eyes. She knew that Sabretooth was immune to her powers, she was just using the opportunity to warn Bobby that he may need to get the children to their safe place. "Just trying to will you to not shed on the carpet, Fluffy," she commented nonchalantly, as if she were talking about the weather.

With this, Scott stepped further in front of Emma, blocking her completely. "I told you, Sabretooth. He's not here."

Victor's berserker rage seemed to be subsiding. Whatever had forced him over to the mansion with the need for Wolverine's blood seemed to be dwindling upon the realization that he would not have immediate satisfaction. He sniffed lightly in the air, to confirm Scott's comment. He leaned in towards the couple and growled lightly at them, "Well you let him know, that I'm coming for him." And just as quickly as he appeared he was gone.

Outside of the mansion, Sabretooth stalked away. He had no recollection of what had gotten him so heated and after Logan. Confused, he cataloged the date in his head, confirming that it wasn't time for his yearly beating dealt on Wolverine's birthday. When he was about a mile from the school, he felt a prick at his back. His confusion soon gave way to fuzziness as his head began spinning. _Thunk. _Another prick at his back. As he stumbled forward the last vision he saw was a purple garbed man bidding him a "'ello, chum." Then, blackness.

Ruckus, Pryo and Mystique appeared behind Sabretooth's slumped body, walking towards Gorgeous George. "I knew it wouldn't last long on him with his healing factor, but the test was successful," Mystique noted. "Ruckus, keep giving him one of those tranqs every few minutes – I have to let Sinister know that his pretty new toy is ready for the X-Men."


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

**Meanwhile...**

Remy and Rogue sat at a fancy French restaurant with tables so cozy that Rogue's bare knees kept rubbing against Remy's pant legs. She was loving the fact that her rush of fear was dwindling when her bare skin brushed against something. Remy caught her grinning deliriously at him and smiled back at her. "That's right, chere, Gambit's got dis effect on the ladies. By the time we order dessert, you'll be in my lap," he said with a cocky grin.

Rogue rolled her eyes, knowing that whenever he talked about himself in third person he needed to be brought down a notch. "If Gambit don't watch it, Gambit's gonna get a pretty little southern knee in his crotch," she hissed through a still beaming smile.

Remy leaned in close to her, "Thinkin' bout Gambit's crotch again already, are ya, chere?"

"You're incorrigible, Swamp Rat."

After dinner, Remy insisted that they take a walk in the park, nervously fiddling with his jacket pocket. They came upon a park bench and sat down. Rogue shivered slightly against the early April air. "Remy, can Ah have your coat? I'm a little chilly."

"Of course, petit," he smiled and went to remove his jacket until his eyes widened in horror. "I mean, non. It's not so cold, chere… you, umm, really should've considered a shawl or something," he mumbled, cursing his charisma for abandoning him entirely.

"Alright, Swamp Rat, you've been actin' strange all night. What's goin' on? Was Ah… Was Ah bad last night? And you just don't know how to tell me? Oh God," Rogue's face contorted and looked away from Remy's, biting her lip feverishly, realizing that this is why he wanted to get her alone. _Ah knew it, _she thought, _Ah was horrible and now he's breaking up with me!_

"Non! Merde, Rogue, non, that's not it," Remy scrambled, yanking off his jacket and plucking the box from it. He draped the jacket over her shoulders that were now shivering uncontrollably and held the box out in his hand. He heard Rogue gasped and tried to regain a bit of his composure. He opened the box and revealed large, sparkling, cushion –cut emerald, framed with small diamonds all around the stone itself and along the platinum band. "I know you're not a diamond kind of femme… and the emerald reminded me of your eyes," he paused for a moment, trying to gauge her reaction. She just sat there, mouth agape, so he continued. "I love you, Rogue. No one has ever made me feel like dis before. I didn' t'ink marriage would be for me again, but you changed my mind, mon amour."

Suddenly, Rogue spoke up, snapping out of her trance, in barely a whisper. "Remy.. are ya askin' me what Ah think you're askin' me?" Tears began to fall silently from her eyes.

"Oui, chere. Will you marry me?" he looked into her eyes, hopeful. A long silence followed the question until Remy stared to get nervous. Then, Rogue let out a loud yelp and threw her arms around him, causing Remy to jump a mile high. "Merde! Chere, you scared me half to death. Is dat a 'oui'?" he asked, still holding out the ring.

"Yes! Ah mean, oui, yeah, of course!" she cried as he slipped the ring onto her finger. She wrapped her arms around him again and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Finally pulling away, she rested her head on his shoulder and they sat until the wee hours of the night, content.

**Meanwhile…**

Mystique walked casually into one of Sinister's many hidden labs. The best way to describe it would be a mad scientist's lair – with test tubes and medical equipment here and there, right down to the occasional disgusting thing floating in a jar. Behind her, Gorgeous George, Pyro and Ruckus struggled to drag in Sabretooth's lifeless body, stopping every so often to hit the beast with another tranquilizer, due to his advanced healing power. "Ahh," Sinister turned towards them, with a voice that sent chills up even Mystique's spine. "I see our little experiment was a success. If I can control a self-healing mind like Sabretooth's for that long, the rest of these mutants won't be a problem."

"Just remember our deal, Sinister. I gave you Sabretooth to experiment on, you leave Rogue out of this," Mystique demanded,

Sinister let out a dramatic sigh, "Of course I would never dream of breaking our deal. Just get your troops ready to invade Xavier's tomorrow. We'll need at least a quarter of the facility under my control to collect the amount of mutants I need for DNA I require."

"We're ready," Mystique confirmed.

"And Mystique," Sinister said before he went back to his work, "stick to the list. That means acquiring your Rogue's precious boyfriend. I trust this won't be an issue."

"In fact Sinister, the pleasure will be mine."


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

*Warning: drama is about to ensue.*

**SUNDAY, 10PM**

The mansion was abuzz all day Sunday after Remy and Rogue announced their engagement. Everyone had questions and before they knew it they had plans to get married on the mansion grounds in 6 short months. By 10PM, most of the students were in bed with lights out from the long day, and the X-Men themselves were headed up shortly after, but first, Scott called a meeting to brief the team on last night's visitor. Wolverine was the first to speak up with a *snikt* of his claws. "I'll be happy to go get him for a line of questioning, squinty."

"As much as I appreciate your act now, think later tactics, I don't think it's necessary, Wolverine," Scott shot back. "Sabretooth could've easily picked a fight or gone after the students, but he didn't. He came in a rage, but he left on his own. I just think we need to keep an eye out for now."

"Come on, Scooter, you're keeping us up for a meeting that's telling us to not do anything," Remy scoffed, knowing that Scott hated when he and Wolverine called him pet names.

Scott reddened before mumbling out a "dismissed" and letting the team retire to their rooms. He noticed Emma lingering by the doorway and turned to Jean. "I'll meet you up there, honey, I'm just going to go over some details with Emma – make sure we didn't miss anything." As soon as Jean was up the stairs Scott was dragging Emma to a nearby classroom and slipping in. He wasn't the type to take the risk of being discovered in the kitchen and Emma once again kicked herself for having feelings for this square.

With the door closed behind him, he turned to Emma, scooped her face in his hands, and kissed her. Emma was taken aback. Such a forward move was so out of character for the play-it-safe leader. He saw the shock on her face and chuckled. "Well, with Sabretooth crashing our date yesterday, I thought it was due."

Emma gaped at him, "our date? Scott, we never had a date."

"Jesus, Emma! Enough of this hot and cold, do you want to do this or not?" he demanded.

"You know, a gal could get used to this 'take-charge' Scott. So much more appealing than Scooter, the wet noodle," she quipped, laughing hysterically.

"You're unbelievable, Emma!" Scott sneered. "Seriously, un-fucking-beli-" He was cut off when he realized that Emma's hands tugging lightly at his belt buckle. His brow lifted and he leaned in to kiss her again.

His eyes widened again as Emma thrust her hand down his pants and grabbed him roughly. "At your service, Scooter."

Scott groaned, "don't call me that." Emma just giggled and began gripping and moving her hand up and down him to make him forgive her.

**Meanwhile…**

Jean pulled back from Logan, who had her in a feverish kiss in her and Scott's room. "Logan, no. You have to go. Scott could be up here any minute."

"Just look him up, Red. See where he's at – I want to stay here with you for as long as possible." Concern etched her face. "I'm not asking you to put anything in his head – just jump in there and locate him. That's all."

"Fine, you're right," Jean conceded and stepped back from Logan. She closed her eyes to get a lock on Scott's mind. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and a look of horror crossed her face. "Son of a bitch!" she screamed and rushed out of the door and down the hall, ignoring Logan's calls. She marched swiftly up to the classroom door and swung it open.

In front of her was Scott with his pants and underwear down around his ankles as he furiously pushed in and out of a naked (except for her white thigh high boots) Emma who was propped up on the teacher's desk. With his back turned and too into what he was doing, Scott didn't hear the door swing open until a horrified Emma, looking over his should right at Jean, pushed him off with a mumbled "oh, bloody hell." Emma hurriedly gathered up her clothes and walked out – not rushing, but careful to keep an eye on Jean in case she attacked her as she brushed past her through the door. Jean just scoffed as Emma walked out, staring her in the face with head high, as if she hadn't just been screwing her husband right in front of her.

Once she was gone, Jean turned to Scott. "You are NOT serious. With the biggest skank in the mansion, Scott? Really?"

Sheepishly pulling up his pants, Scott started at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jean. I'm so sorry. I've just been feeling really distant from you lately and Emma-"

"Save it, Scott! I don't want to hear it!" she yelled, turning to leave, the fact that she was just as guilty only making her angrier. She stomped out into the main hall with Scott following behind her to see Logan at the foot of the stairs. With her irrational anger bubbling over, she spun on her heels to face Scott. "And I've been fucking Logan!" she screamed.

A muffled fake cough caused Jean to whip her head towards the top of the stairs, ready to berate whoever was eavesdropping, only to see Storm standing there, her eyes cold, her face revealing nothing. Jean's anger melted instantly and she became swept with embarrassment. She mumbled something and ran out of the mansion, got in her car, and left. Storm calmly looked at Logan, shook her head, and retreated back to her room without a word.

Logan considered going after Jean, and then going after Storm, but his feet stayed put. He was snapped back to reality when he heard Scott rushing towards him. He turned to him just in time to catch Scott's fist a few inches from his face. Before, he'd always imagined that when this time came he would let Scott hit him, since he deserved it, but knowing that Scott was doing the same thing with Emma changed his mind. Logan let go of his fist and turned to go back to his room, having had enough drama for one night, and in no place to explain himself to Storm. He would've ran too, if Jean hadn't beat him to it.

Scott stood in the lobby for two hours before dragging himself up as well, confused, betrayed, and in love with two very different women.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

**MONDAY, 3 AM**

Mystique, Pyro, Gorgeous George, Ruckus, and Sabretooth snuck silently onto the mansion grounds. The plan was simple – inject Sinsiter's mind-controlling substance into the mutants on the list. The list consisted of about a quarter of the students and staff – most of which were getting the substance so they would stay sleeping and wouldn't get in the way, and nine were getting it to be taken back to Sinister. The mutants that Sinister chose were all top specimens of their kind, so when his crew gave them the order to come back to his lab, they should have no trouble getting there, even if some of the other mutants tried to stop them.

Sabretooth had been completely livid when Sinister awoke him from his tranquilizer nap, strapped onto a table. He soon changed his tune when Sinister offered him a boat load of cash to help bring in the one mutant that may cause trouble even after the mind control – Wolverine. Sabretooth, certain that he was the only person that could handle the runt, gladly accepted.

The five went their separate ways once they got on the grounds, with Pyro, Gorgeous George, and Ruckus going to administer the drug to those who were staying put, Sabretooth finding Logan, and Mystique finding the eight on her list that would be coming back with them. Mystique looked over her list thoughtfully once more. Scott Summers, alias Cyclops. Jean Grey. Remy LeBeau, alias Gambit. Robert Drake, alias Iceman. Ororo Monroe, alias Storm. Katherine Pryde, alias Shadowcat. Piotr Rasputin, alias Colossus. Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler. She quickly ran into problems when she saw that Jean Grey was not in her room with Cyclops, and in fact, no where to be found on the property. Quickly re-assessing, she scratched Jean off the list and replaced her with another telepath, Emma Frost. She had considered grabbing the Professor, but feared his powerful mind would cause too much trouble, and preferred to leave him sleeping under Sinister's mind-control aid.

She got through her list of eight quickly and was retracing her steps to give them all their commands to go to Sinister's lab. When she was at her last stop, she once again stepped into Rogue and Remy's room, she saw Pyro, leaned over Rogue with a needle in his hand. She moved swiftly and grabbed his arm before it punctured her. "She isn't on either of the lists! What are you doing?" she whispered harshly.

Pyro looked like a deer in headlights, clutching the paper in his left hand tighter. Mystique ripped it from him and looked at his list. It was her list. The list of mutants needed for DNA – only there were nine where hers only held eight. Mystique quickly came to the conclusion that she'd been double-crossed. Pyro ran over to Remy and whispered the commands in his ear. The Cajun man got up abruptly and walked towards the door, on his way to Sinister's lab.

Rogue began to stir when Remy's weight lifted from the bed and Mystique and Pyro's glances both shot towards her. Pyro lunged at her with the needle in hand only to be met by Mystique's foot, kicking him back. Rogue jumped up at the realization that she was surrounded by enemies, with Mystique to her right and Pyro recovering from the blow and climbing over the bed to her with a needle in hand. Scrambling out of bed and into a fight stance that looked no less than ridiculous in her boy shorts paired with one of Remy's old t-shirts, she took in her surroundings, hoping to explain what the hell was going on.

"What the hell is goin' on here, Mystique?" she asked, refusing to call the woman her mother.

"Just being set up by our old friend Pyro, dear," Mystique shot back bitterly. She glanced sideways at her daughter, "Showing an awful lot of skin there, aren't you, Rogue?" And with that she kicked the needle out of Pyro's hand and threw him face first into Rogue in one swift movement. The two toppled over with Pyro's face landing on Rogue's bare arm.

"Oh my God! OH MY GOD! NO!" Pyro screamed as he darted away. Standing, he realized that he was fine. "What the hell?"

"Ah don't have my powers anymore, ya fool! What's happening? Where's Remy?" Rogue demanded.

"You're in luck, Mystique – if she doesn't have her powers, Sinister won't want her anyway. I'm getting out of here." Pyro dashed through the door and out.

Mystique turned back to Rogue as was met with a hard punch in the face that brought her down. "You ain't leavin' here until you explain where the hell you took my fiancé, Mystique. And you'll be helping me get 'im back or so help me God!"

"I will, I'll help Rogue! It's not my fault! I was only doing this for your protection, I swear it, but there's no way that just me and a powerless you will be able to get them back," she explained.

"What, did they take ALL of the other mutants?"

"No, but they've taken and drugged all of the ones powerful enough to help you – I'm sorry."

Rogue stood over her, arms crossed for five deadly silent minutes and just as tears began to fall from her eyes from what she was about to sacrifice for the man and the friends that she loved, she spoke. "Find me Sage."


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

*Author's Note about Sage for those who aren't familiar – she can jumpstart people's powers when they lose them or enhance them/bring out latent mutations.*

Hours later, Rogue had checked every powerful mutant and, just as Mystique had warned her, they were all out colder than leftover. Rogue walked back to the foyer just as Sage was walking through the front door. Rogue gave the woman a hug and she reluctantly returned it. "Hiya, Tess. Thanks for comin' so quickly."

"You sounded desperate, Rogue. I know how long you've waited to be rid of your powers – and now you want me to jump start them?" Sage asked tentatively.

"It's a long story, Tess. Ah have to get my powers back… Sinister has the X-Men. He has Remy! Ah don't know how to fight him without my powers. Ah have to get my family back!"

"I understand, Rogue. Of course, I'll help."

Rogue and Mystique left, leaving Jubilee, one of the older students in charge of the students who were conscious. The girl looked worried, but took the responsibility. Mystique led the way to Sinister's lab as Rogue followed behind silently, overwhelmed with fear for her friends, and trying desperately hard not to think about the return of her poisoned skin. She kept her mission in mind and held the tears back as the lab came in sight. As they crept up to the door, Mystique moving swiftly and silently in front of her, with a grace not many could match, Rogue wondered if she could trust this woman whom she once thought of as a mother to hold up her end of the bargain.

**Meanwhile…**

Jean numbly pulled onto the road that led to the mansion. She had rushed out in a fury the night before and stayed at a dumpy motel to try and clear her thoughts, but she was too responsible to run away for long. She still didn't know whether she wanted to be with Scott or Logan, or if either still wanted to be with her. She snapped out of her thoughts as she pulled roughly up to the garage with the sudden feeling of something out of place. She rushed out of her car and towards the door when she realized that there were at least a quarter of the inhabitants' psyches missing. She bolted through the door and ducked just in time for Jubilee's fireworks to sail overhead.

"OH MY GOD! Dr. Grey! I'm… I'm so sorry!" she cried as she ran into the woman's arms.

"Jubilee! What happened? Where is everyone?"

"Oh my God! Sinister's goons came last night and took a bunch of the X-Men and the powerful ones he didn't take he totally put into like, a COMA or something and Rogue was the only one left 'cuz she didn't have any powers so she called Sage and she gave her her powers back and Mystique was here helping Rogue and they went after everyone who's been taken!" she cried, finally taking a breath.

Jean rubbed her temples, trying to take in all of the information before speaking. "And where did Rogue go? Where did Sinister take the team?"

"Rogue wouldn't tell me. She didn't want us kids going after them."

Jean broke off into a sprint towards Cerebro. "I have to locate them and go help! If anyone comes through that door, just do exactly what you did when I came in!"

**Meanwhile…**

Mystique hung back by the entrance of the lab to stay unseen as Rogue walked into it. She had walked for what seemed like close to a mile before she turned a corner and found herself face to face with Sabretooth. "Thought I smelled a pretty little frail," he smirked and grabbed her roughly up by her arms. She only minimally struggled, knowing it was no use and figuring the beast was taking her straight to who she came to see – Sinister.


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle.

**Sorry for the long wait! I'm getting married in less than a month now and it's been crazy - I had my X-Men themed bachelorette party Saturday where I gave all the girls characters, so I hope my extreme nerdiness will get your forgiveness!**

Sinister looked up as Sabretooth entered the room with the struggling X-Man. He threw her roughly on the floor and went to sit in the corner, hoping to get a chance at the snack if Sinister didn't want her. Mister Sinister gave her an uninterested once-over before turning back to his work. She looked around the disheveled lab. In the next room over, separated from the lab by only a wall that was clear glass from ceiling to floor were the mutants. Each was individually shackled to the wall and hooked up to IVs that led into a large vat of liquid with a computer face, which she assumed was administering more of the mind-control substance. There was a large open area with some on gurney-like tables, ready for whatever Sinister planned to do to them to extract their DNA. They all seemed awake, but as if they didn't realize where they were.

Rising slowly to her feet, Rogue got the feeling that she would have to speak first. "Ain't ya gonna ask me why Ah came, Sinister?"

"You have no powers, dear Rogue. Therefore you're not strong enough to even attempt a rescue…" he paused to glance at her over his shoulder," obviously. And therefore I have no interest in you. And if you came to make a deal for that Cajun of yours, save your breath. His powers are much too important to me and we have far too much history to part ways now. Even more than you two do, dear," he answered coolly.

Rogue struggled for the right words, wondering if they should've thought this out further. By now, Mystique should've been close enough to hear when she lured Sinister into a fight, but in order for her plan to work, she had to have something to fight him with. "Well, could you at least let me say good-bye?" she whispered, eyes brimming with tears as she looked longingly into the adjoining room.

"My dear, you must have me confused with one of those villains that care. I only care about superior mutants with superior powers. I only care about my research. Unfortunately, you mean nothing to me," he replied calmly, never looking up.

In the corner, Sabretooth growled lightly imagining all the ways he'd savor his meal, but before he had time to interject, he caught the scent of someone who didn't belong. Sinister, back still turned to Rogue stiffened and sharply looked up from his work. "On second thought, I'm feeling generous today, since it is such a good day indeed. I will let you say good-bye. You have five minutes," he said in a monotone, before his shoulders dropped and he went back to his work.

Rogue stood for a moment, confused, as Sabretooth eased off of his stool and hulked over to the hallway, something in his scent. Worried, she looked over the hallway across from where he walked off to and saw Mystique hiding behind the corner, just as she should be. Sinister seemed to be completely oblivious as she walked into the large room full of mutants. Remy was one of the few strapped to the gurney, having the pleasure of going first in Sinister's twisted doctor's office. He blankly looked up at her, seeming to stare right through her. "Remy?" she whispered. She fought back the tears as he gave her no inclination that he even knew she was there.

Behind her, Sinister roared, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?" as whatever had taken power over him roughly cut off.

Rogue snapped into action. "Ah'll get you out of here, Swamp Rat, Ah promise," she whispered quickly and stole a lingering kiss, pulling the deck of cards out of her pocket. She felt the pull of her powers and held on for as long as she could without causing Remy harm. When she pulled away from him his head slumped over, eyes closed.

Sinister tapped her roughly on the shoulder. "If you're quit done, I think it's time to dispose of you now." Rogue turned towards him, eyes lowered, lest her new red on black color give her away. He turned towards the lab and looked around for his beastly helper. With a sigh he turned back to her, "I guess I'll have to take care of you myself."

"Love to see you try, homme," she shot back in a rich, Cajun accent. Rogue sprung into action, flinging charged cards in his direction and diving behind the gurneys for cover.

Sinister cried out as two cards hit their mark, blasting a hole through his mid-section. "You've been holding out on me, Rogue! No matter. Gambit has never been able to defeat me, and neither will you."

**Meanwhile…**

Mystique heard the first explosion of Rogue's card and eased out of her hiding place. She crawled along the floor to shield herself with the lab tables in case Sinister looked back into the lab. She crept along to his computer, pulling herself up enough to see the screen and began lowering the dosage on each mutant.

**Meanwhile…**

Jean sat in the hallway leading to Sinister's lab, concentrating on Mister Sinister's mind. The man was not easy to influence, but he was arrogant in his lab, and thought that no one would be able to find him, making him easier to manipulate. She had just made the man give Rogue her wish of a good-bye, and now she was attempting to hold him long enough for Rogue to carry out that wish. She was snapped out of her trance by a rough grasp of her arm, pulling her up and face to face with Sabretooth.

He growled menacingly, "well if it isn't the one that got away. Sinister will want you instead of that blonde frail for his experiment. That means a bonus for me!" He hoisted her up over his shoulder and began walking back to Sinister's lab. She looked around for something she could use her telekenisis to hit him with, but found the long, dark hallway empty. Jean frantically tried to come up with a plan to get her out of there, but with Sabretooth's invulnerability to telepathy and Sinister's ability to block it if he concentrated, she was coming up short, doomed to be hooked up and have her power taken from her.

**Meanwhile…**

Rogue was beginning to run empty on Gambit's agility and kinetic powers, as Sinister played the waiting game with her. Dodging blasts without really needing to take an offensive stance, Sinister waited for the cat to become the mouse.

In the adjacent room, Mystique heard Sabretooth's heavy breathing coming towards the lab. She turned the last bit of the IVs off to the mutants and turned towards the exit. For a moment she looked back at her foster daughter and considered helping her as she began to struggle against Sinister, but although Mystique loved Rogue, the only person she loved more was herself. She turned on her heel and ran out, hoping the mutants snapped out of their sleep in time to help her daughter.

Rogue slid under an empty gurney, completely out of Gambit's powers. Every time she tried to run to a nearby mutant, Sinister shot at her with a laser-like gun that could only be his own creation. Blasting at her again as she tried to lunge for Wolverine, she ducked, ending up in the corner of the lab, completely unshielded. Sinister stepped up to her, looking down at her with a smile. "Looks like your luck has run out my dear."


	11. Chapter 11

I don't own any of these characters - if I did I wouldn't be writing this at home after a long day at work ;) Reviews are welcome - this is my first story, so be gentle

Sabretooth reached the lab, Jean still slung over his shoulder. He was eager to show Sinister his find and get paid, and hopefully praised. At his back, Jean spoke up, "So if Sinister is looking for only the best mutants, why did he have you go through the dangerous mission of catching the Wolverine, instead of just taking your healing power?" she asked coyly, as if she really was wondering.

Sabretooth stopped in his tracks for a moment. Many people thought the large mutant was dumb due to his appearance. On the contrary, he was extremely intelligent. Unfortunately, he was also extremely arrogant – especially when it came to his arch rival. In his mind, all of the facts fell into place. He picked Jean off his shoulder and heaved her to the ground.

The beastly man stepped into the room just as Sinister had Rogue backed into a corner. His timing was poor, but he waited for no one. "SINISTER!" he called out with a snarl.

Sinister didn't take his eyes off of the woman in front of him that held the power he wanted so badly. "What is it, Sabretooth? Now is not the best time to chat, fool."

Sabretooth took another step closer with a growl as his anger continued to build. "You let the Wolverine go and I'll let you use MY powers, for a price."

Sinister scoffed at the offer. "My dear boy, since when did you start caring about the well-being of the Wolverine?"

"I don't care about the runt, but you said you needed the most powerful mutants. That would be me. I found you the red-headed telepath to replace the blonde. And you use me to complete your work."

Unfortunately for Sinister, he was just as arrogant as Sabretooth. He laughed heartily, still never taking his eyes off of Rogue. "Sabretooth, please, be reasonable. You know as well as I that you don't match Wolverine's healing power in any way. Now bring me Mrs. Summers if you'd like to get paid."

Below him, a smirk formed on Rogue's face. "Wrong answer, sugah." She rolled to the side just as Sabretooth lashed out towards Sinister, knocking him into the corner. The two began struggling against one another with a rage she wanted no part of. Prepared to go back into the lab and see what was taking Mystique so long, she began to crawl away from her enemies. She yelped as a foot came down in front of her from the wall. "Logan!" she yelled as leapt to her feet and embraced the hairy man.

Because of his healing factor, Logan was the first mutant to snap out of his haze. Looking around to see his fellow X-Men pinned to the wall and Sinister and Sabretooth rolling around on the floor was not the wake up call he was expecting. He looked fondly at Rogue. "You did this, darlin'?"

"Mystique and Ah. Ah made her help. Help me unshackle everyone who can't free themselves, Logan. They should be wakin' up shortly behind you."

He unsheathed his claws and unshackled Cyclops and Storm next to him. "They should be able to help you when they come to, darlin'. I'd really better get in on this fight." And with that, Wolverine was rushing towards the two men before Rogue could protest. She almost went after him until she heard a moan coming from the gurney towards the center of the room.

"Remy!" she yelled. She raced over towards his bed as he began to prop himself up, clutching his head.

"What's de matter, chére? Remy forget to put the seat down again?" he muttered.

"Ya old Swamp Rat!" She cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "You gave your fiancée quite a scare, ya know."

"Aww, chére, I'm never worried when you're comin' t' save me," he said, pulling back from her hug and going in for a kiss. She immediately shrunk back, her face deflating to a frown. "What's wrong, Rogue?"

"To save ya… to save ya Ah had to have Sage restore my powers Remy. Ah can't touch you anymore," she said almost in a whisper.

His heart dropped, but he didn't dare let his face show it, knowing how fragile she was at the moment. He looked at her softly before choosing the words to speak. "Rogue, how long did I chase ya before you even gave this Cajun de time of day? How long did I love ya before I ever worked up de guts t' say it? An' how long did I want ya before you were able t' touch? I got plenty o' ideas t' get around it, chére. You don' worry bout that. Je t'aime."

With that, a smile touched Rogue's lips. She wiped a stray tear away and turned back to face him. "We'd better go help Logan before he gets himself in a heap o' trouble," she said. They looked over to the corner of the room and saw it wouldn't be necessary. Most of the mutants were up and lucid now, with several binding Sinister and Wolverine crouched over Sabretooth, claws to his throat.

Storm came up behind Logan and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let him go, Logan. He helped to save us."

Wolverine wanted to yell, but being that this was the first time Storm had spoken to him since finding out about Jean, he refrained. "He saved us by pure coincidence, 'Ro. He'll be back to ruining our lives by tomorrow."

"Perhaps, but today we owe our lives in part to him. Let him go."

Logan let out a guttural noise before dismounting the animal and letting him get up. "Until the end of May, runt," Sabretooth said over his shoulder casually.

"I'll be waiting, old man."

A/N - it's not over! Although the action is done, I'll be tying up the love triangle drama and Rogue and Remy of course :)**


	12. Author's Note

A/N – Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait, but I'm all done with my wedding now so I'm ready to get back in and wrap this thing up. I have a few options for the wrap up of the Storm/Wolverine/Jean/Scott/Emma ridiculous-ness that has gone on, but I wanted to see what you guys were hoping to see before I decided on one (I tend to be biased towards certain couples). Send me a message or leave me a comment with what you want to see! Please also feel free to leave suggestions on ROMY, but that one is pretty wrapped up and typed out already (you'll like it, I promise haha).

Thanks!


	13. Chapter 12

**And here it is! Sorry about the wait - I was unsure how to handle the drama between the other couples. I have a preference and I went with it - hope you all enjoy it. And of course, we'll see Romy's ending. Thanks to all the reviewers! You really made it worth writing!**

**And, sadly, I still don't own these characters.**

When the team returned, it was only hours before Jean decided that she was leaving the institute indefinitely. Between hurting her best friend by sleeping with her boyfriend, cheating on her own husband, and finding out that not only did her husband cheat on her, but loved the other woman, it became too much. Jean had always had an easy life – supportive parents, successful in school and her career. This train wreck was not something she knew how to handle, so she decided it was easier to go – at least until the drama died down.

When she told Scott she was leaving, he immediately begged her to stay – saying they would work it out. She didn't have to read his mind to know that his feelings for Emma were real, and that he was only willing to work on this because he wanted to do what was right – what was expected. Although Jean and Scott's care for each other was real, it was a relationship of convenience. It was what everyone expected of them, like a relationship between the quarterback and the head cheerleader. It was not a relationship of passion and need. Passion was what Scott had with Emma. Need was what Jean felt so strongly with Logan. When she began to pack, Scott left, claiming to be unable to watch. It was only a few minutes before she found Logan at her door.

"You're taking my move, Red," he said with sadness in his eyes. Jean smiled weakly. She knew that Logan would never ask her to stay. No one understood the need to run away like him.

"Do me a favor," she said, pulling a letter out of her dresser and handing it to him, "sneak this to Ororo some time after I leave. I owe her an explanation."

"You're not a bad friend, Jeanie. This became something bigger than either of us expected it would."

"I'm a coward, Logan. I can't even tell my best friend that I'm sorry to her face," she sighed, avoiding his eyes. "I just… think I've caused enough hurt for now."

"You ever gonna come back to us?"

"Don't you always come back, Logan?" For the first time in days she gave him a real smile, and lifted her bag. She snuck out so that she wouldn't have to face the questions from the students as to why she was going. She had kept her conversation with the Professor short and telepathic. He didn't try to change her mind, just noted that perhaps the Wolverine had rubbed off on her more than she realized.

The next few days in the mansion were strained. Logan and Ororo, although no longer dating, kept civil for the sake of their friends. Logan knew that one day they could be friends again. Ororo was sometimes too understanding for her own good.

Scott and Emma kept their new relationship secretive. Although Scott was heartbroken after Jean, he could no longer deny his overwhelming feelings for Emma. Emma simply kept it quiet so she could still flirt as she saw fit, still angry at herself for falling for the square.

A few weeks later, Rogue was sitting in her room when she heard Emma's voice pop into her head. _Rogue, get your tail down to the lab, doll. And make it bloody quick - you'll want to hear this._

When Rogue got down to the lab, Hank, Xavier and Emma were there, huddled, smiling at her. "W-what's going on, guys?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's your powers, Rogue. We think we've found out how you can control them," Professor Xavier grinned.

Rogue stared at them, mouth agape. "What? But, how?"

"It's quite fascinating actually," Hank explained. "We've always tried creating something in your mind to give you control of your powers, but it turns out we had it all wrong. You should've had control of your powers all along. The ability to control your powers is _part_ of your mutation that would've developed when your powers fully matured, but due to your incident with Cody, you've had it psychologically blocked."

"Are you saying all this time Ah've been able to control my powers if Ah'd just set mah mind to it?"

"Not exactly, dear," Emma added. "It's not that you just haven't been trying enough – the incident with Cody caused your brain to have a post-traumatic stress disorder of sorts. With Cody came a wall, blocking your ability to control. And with Carol, another wall. Now that we know this, we can work on taking down the psi-blockers that are inhibiting your control."

Rogue's smile widened and a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you… thank you so much." The three just smiled back as Rouge grabbed Emma's hand. "Now let's get to work, Frost, Ah've only got 6 months til Ah get hitched." She turned her attention to the rest of the group, "And if y'all could just keep this between us… Ah'd appreciate it."

It was a beautiful October Saturday at the mansion. Remy paced nervously up at the alter, thumbing his tie and enjoying the inexplicable clear skies and 70 degrees. _I'll have to be sure t'tank Stormy for dis,_ he thought. The music began and Remy straightened up and got into his spot. Two by two the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down the aisle until they all joined him at the front. The music changed and a whole new wave of nervousness stirred in him. Then, he saw her.

Rogue stepped forward, Professor Xavier by her side, in a long, sleeveless ivory gown that fit her snug up top and then pooled out in a mix of tulle and satin. Ivory satin gloves reached from her fingertips to a few inches above her elbows, and her chestnut and ivory curls cascaded over her shoulders. At that moment, all of his nerves subsided and a calm enveloped him. The walk to him seemed to take forever, and he couldn't wipe the grin from his face the entire time.

The ceremony wasn't a terribly long one, and soon they had their rings on each other, promising their life to one another. With that, their officiate, Nightcrawler, announced "You may now kiss the bride." Remy gasped. They had specifically asked for that part to be left out. He whipped is head over to Rogue, sure that she would be upset, and saw her smiling, peeling off her gloves. She passed her gloves to Emma, her choice of a maid of honor (who fought the honor tooth and nail), and she winked at her.

Rogue wrapped her arms around the Cajun and pulled him in for a kiss. Confused, Remy kissed her back, fully accepting that he'd spend the first few hours of his wedding reception unconscious. And then… nothing. Just her lips, that tasted like honey. The crowd erupted in joyful clapping for the newly married couple. She pulled away from his kiss against his will and reached her lips to his ear. "Ah learned to control it, Remy."

It was the best wedding gift he could've received.


End file.
